Tips, tricks & techniques...
getting more out of your Mac.


My Road set up... 15 inch MacBook Pro i7, 800 fire wire
card reader and two Lacie Rugged hard drives with a triple interface.

In recent months I have seen quiet a few newcomers to Mac or as we like to call them “Switchers” they moved from PC to MAC.
For those who are new to Mac and I am sure for some long time users as well, I like to share some simple shortcuts today making your work on a Mac even more enjoyable.

OK. lets start with Apple’s Snow Leopard 10.6.4

Sharing articles from your Safari Web Browser made easy

Did you know when you're browsing the web in Safari and found an article you like to share with friends or business partners that with a simple click you can send the page without copy and paste via e-mail?
Once in Safari just press Apple (Command Key) and the letter “I” instantly Mail will open up and the article is right there, add the e-mail address and you’re done. Very slick if you like to share articles without copy and paste. (Screenshot below)

Safari & Mail shortcut for sharing articles

The easy way in using Quick Look

I guess most of us know the slick “Quick Look” function on Snow Leopard by highlighting the document or photo icon on your desk top or files located in folders by clicking the right mouse button or going to File and activate Quick Look.
However there is a much faster and slicker way of doing exactly that.

Quick Look, highlighted only one Icon
Note: The Icon for sending your photos direct to your iPhoto Library
add to iPhoto is just above the arrow Icon for Full screen


Highlighted multiple Desk Top Icons, then open in Quick Look

Just highlight the document or what ever you like to look at and press "Spacebar" Wow... so much faster and efficient, I use it a lot for a Quick Look at photos, pdf files with multiple pages or other documents. You can even select multiple photos and within seconds you find what you're looking for, instead open the software which can take time e.g. open Word can take up to 15 seconds depending on the speed of your Machine. This one is a real time saver!

Very useful for screenshots, finding the right one quick, also great for locating Videos or photos you might have uploaded on your desk top and of course reading documents in full screen without open the software is just so much more fun.
There is even an Icon for sending your photos direct to your iPhoto Library.

A Quick look at your Videos

Don't be shy give it a test drive and play around a bit... you find endless possibilities and remember next time you’re looking for this elusive photo, video, document or like to read your pdf pages in full screen, just highlight the Icon press "SPACEBAR" without open the software.

A cool way moving selected Photos from
iPhoto (iLife '09) to your Aperture 3 Library.

Mac is all about drag and drop…very simple and efficient; say you decided to move from iPhoto to Aperture 3 and like to move “not all” but some of your important Photos to the Aperture Library.
Open Aperture 3 go to Import and select in the panel show iPhoto Browser click and your iPhoto Browser will open. Then highlight the photo or multiple ones and drag them into your Aperture 3 Library, (see screenshots) Aperture creates automatically a new Project, the only thing left to do, name the Project…and you're done.

Aperture 3 and Import panel open showing the iPhoto Browser bar.

Aperture 3 behind the open iPhoto Browser panel, it is here where
you select your photos and drag them into your Aperture 3 Library

In this exercise I have selected the Marine Images from my iPhoto Library, see screenshots.
Now you have your selected Photos in your Aperture Library…it is really that simple, very fast, efficient and so integrated.

Underwater Photos from my iPhoto library have now been moved to
my Aperture 3 library, at the same time Aperture created a new Project.

Of course you can also import your whole iPhoto Library if you chose to do so, in my workflow I use iPhoto for private photographs and my low res. images for the Web, using Aperture 3 for my pro and heavy workload.
Utilizing the full integration on the Mac can be so much fun, but it's also faster and more efficient.
GD

© Gunther Deichmann - Pushkar, India 2009

So here we are back into Photography, Aperture 3 is certainly going to make our workflow more easy and more fun, GPS and Places, the new Curves, put back from the Trash, Chromatic Aberrations the list goes on and on.
We have also color coding which some of us find very useful for on the road editing, however I have a slight grin on my face and you might ask why. Very simple, some of our Underwater Photographer recently complained and nagged non stop about updates being to slow from Apple.

Some even went as far and switched to Lightroom, again my magic word is patience...are they going back to Aperture 3 now, it looks that way.
My advise as an Aperture user from day one and as a Certified Trainer, get to know one software real well and stick with it, in due time and it is happening right now changes will happen, remember “Rome was also not build in one day” have patience, good things take time. And The Time is NOW.
Thanks to the Apple Aperture Team for a Job well done!

As for my travel photography, I am more then excited, but then again I need to get those images first. You all know I am leaving very soon and if all goes well I have Aperture 3 running and give it a real good and realistic Road test for some 4 weeks in the field trying to post images with the new Facebook function , Locations via Places, the new video function and for sure I am going to work with the new Curves.

Please stay tuned and I try my very best connection permitting to file real reports from the field, or you might say Aperture 3 straight out of the Box.

The web is totally saturated at the moment, the talk of the Town is Aperture 3, but now I am looking forward to some cool Photography and only then I write more in details about all those new features which certainly sound all very exciting.
For the latest info on Aperture 3 and all the new features pls. go to: http://www.apple.com/aperture/whats-new.html
GD

Moving from iPhoto to Aperture 3

You’ve done some great things with iPhoto, and now you’re ready to do more. Aperture 3 is designed to make the move from iPhoto easy and seamless. See how easy it is...http://www.apple.com/aperture/iphoto-to-aperture/

iPhoto Slideshow & Aperture at
Power Mac Center TriNoma.


Power Mac Center TriNoma

Please join me at Power Mac Center TriNoma on February 15, 2010 from 5:30pm to 7:00pm
“Tell Your Story through Photos” - iPhoto Slideshow & Aperture plus a lot more...basic photo management and photo slideshow tools on your Mac.
Power Mac Center TriNoma
REGISTER NOW AND DISCOVER THE MACINTOSH ADVANTAGE!
Contact training@ powermaccenter.com • tutorial@powermaccenter.com • 0918-2680603 • 0922 8481577

Power Mac Center TriNoma

Please check out also the latest updates on the
GD PhotoWorkshops Calendar
@ http://www.deichmann-photo.com/gdphotoworkshop/

© Gunther Deichmann - Hobbit House Manila, Philippines, just a fun evening. QT 1:57min

If you ever pass through Manila then you should check out the Hobbit House (Lord of the Rings) in Malate, founded in 1973 by Expat Jim Turner, a fun and very entertaining place with good music, food and cold beers.

I took this video some time ago while having a couple of beers with my friend Arnold,
of course my little Leica D-Lux 4 was strapped on my belt. As you know, I never leave home without it.

Some very special, fun loving people run this establishment, the “Little People” with their big hearts, great smiles and cool sense of humor.
The main attraction is Egoy the Elvis Presley impersonator, small in size but with exceptional good vocal cords.
I thought… lets try out the video function on the Leica, and see what I can come up with… no tripod using only available light…oh boy it was dark. Plus some flash photography from other Costumers made it even more awkward.

A quick edit in iMovie (iLife’09) inserted a small intro soundtrack to the photos from GarageBand and it was done.
Nothing special, just a fun video with the help of my little friends.

Thank you all, you have been so cool and entertaining, your hearts are so much bigger then most others.
I think even Joe Cocker would love this place and he might join in with his song…
"A Little Help From My Friends" or as I call it “A little Help from my Little Friends”
So, there you have it, never leave home without a camera, try to shoot and experiment just for fun sometimes.
GD

Power Mac Center TriNoma presents...


© Gunther Deichmann - Phnom Penh, Cambodia Dec. 2009
Nikon D300s

Be a Professional Photographer this Holiday Season... presented by Power Mac Center TriNoma
3rd Level Mindanao Wing, TriNoma Edsa cor. North Avenue,
Quezon City, Ph: (632) 901-3980

A one hour special on iLife - Aperture 2 - Tips, Tricks and Techniques by Gunther Deichmann.
Power Mac Center TriNoma, 30th of December from 5:00 to 6:00 PM

For questions and special requests, you can call 729-7087 or 88, or email us at training@powermaccenter.com

http://www.powermaccenter.com/training.php

MAC CAMPUS ROADSHOW
BY POWER MAC CENTER


ABOVE: using Pages from iWork ‘09

Students from the Computer Science and Photography Department, Teachers and Faculty Members from the Lyceum University attended the Mac Campus Road show. Sponsored by Power Mac Center and organized by Maleng P. Raysag from PMC and the management at Lyceum University.
The Power Mac Center Training Devision had set up an array of iMac’s manned by their staff explaining to Students and Teachers the possibilities on a Mac. I could not help noticing that Photo Booth was a real hit, laughter non stop.

The program of the day included lectures on Integration on the Mac, Photography, Digital workflow using Aperture2 and a basic Photo Competition using what ever Camera was available; Cell phones, Compact Digital Cameras to SLR’s. , etc.
Part of the presentations included how the Mac can help you and how to speed things up using Aperture 2, (Aperture 2 & beyond…) iWork ’09 and iLife ’09 explaining the cool integration. Life made so easy!

The photo Assignment for the day was again Shadows for group “A” and group “B” Space, allotted time for completion 45 minutes.

© Jhonille Villanueva, Donna Dawn Santander-1st
Nikon D40

After the assignment, with the help of Andrew & Mark-Lee from Power Mac Center we uploaded the images into folders and imported them into Aperture 2 for fast processing and judging using the star rating system in Aperture.

© Aaron Basa-2nd
Sony Cyber Shot


© Paulo Caballero, Prince John Risky Arenas-3rd
Cellphone


© Raymark Espeleta, Geneva Panigbatan-4th
Sony Digital Camera

The highest scoring images received prizes sponsored by Power Mac Center.
Another fun Day minus the rain today, being with a cool group of Students, Teachers and Faculty members using only simple Cameras but creating some nice images.
Thanks everybody, I had a great day!
GD

The original Video is part of a high end DVD available (order base) at Club Paradise composed of three different sequences. Edited and sound by Gunther Deichmann using GarageBand, Soundtrack Pro and Royalty released tracks from Sounddogs created on a MacPro using iMovie ’06 (yes the good old iMovie 06) with some additional Plug-ins.
All the footage taken in Palawan at different Dive Sites, the majority being at the Club Paradise House Reef, only meters away from your accommodation.
The full Video (DVD) has 20:18 minutes of great Marine Life; “Dancing Cuttle Fish”, Turtles, Dugongs and all the Critters you can imagine captured on this truly great Video by Dirk. Unfortunately YouTube only allows us to run 10 min., the full version 20:18 min. will be uploaded in a few days into the Video Gallery of Dirk’s Website @ http://www.dugongdivecenter.com/
I am sure once you have seen the Underwater World from this exotic destination you pack your Dive gear and book your next trip to Club Paradise and Dive with Dirk at Dugong Dive Center.
Hey, don’t forget your Underwater Housing for your Video Cam or Camera, try to get some of those great underwater images at this truly remarkable place.

GD
Visit YouTube for a preview and the 8:52 min. version @
http://www.youtube.com/user/TIMEJOURNEY
Broadband DSL recommended.

Contacts us @
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/blog.html
http://www.dugongdivecenter.com/

A very short introduction into the new GarageBand in iLife ’09... a little bit of Blues,
“When I wake up in the morning”

It is the weekend again, so why dont we take some time and compose some cool Music with the new GarageBand.
The new and improved interface of GarageBand is just so very cool with endless possibilities, and once you have added some Jam Packs to it you be amazed what you can create if you’re a musician or not...but it helps if you like or like me love music.

Click on the title: When I wake up in the Morning
1:50 min.

Start with Magic GarageBand first, familiarize yourself and later get more adventures and explore all the other possibilities, the trick is to work in the beginning with Magic GarageBand, from the menu choose Magic GarageBand and move the various instruments around until you’re happy with the overall sound. After that click on Open in GarageBand, now you have your instrument tracks in front of you and the real editing and mixing can start.
Add some Voices, Guitars, Effects (there is so much to choose from) or what ever you feel like, split and separate the tracks and move them around until you have a nice and now very different sound track. Send it to iTunes and you’re done, well almost... dont be shy,you do have to spend some time and experiment with GarageBand and if you love Music it is a lot of fun too.
“When I wake up in the morning” was created entirely in GarageBand. I know it is not Tina Turner but not bad for someone who cant even play an instrument or knows anything about musical notes.
Now turn up your speakers...

GarageBand Screen shot, start with Magic GarageBand red square and have some fun.

Please note: I recommend when running Garageband to turn off all other Applications, Garageband does require a bit of processing power, but on a MacBook Pro you should have no problems at all. Also dont run to many tracks once you left Magic GarageBand and you’re in the editing phase. I know it is tempting to keep adding tracks but be careful it my slow down your Machine.
GD

“Elevator Blues”
But where is Eric Clapton? Guitars out side the Lift
at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Manila

It was during a Coffee Break that my good friend Arnold and myself stepped out of the Lift and almost fell over this cool line up of Guitars. “Arnold...the only thing missing is Eric Clapton,” as it turned out there was a major rock secession in progress in one of the Ballrooms, sorry folks no Clapton, John Mayall or even Bob Marley otherwise I would have not gone back to my meeting.
This strange scene reminded me of a song by Ten Years After...
”The Band with no Name”
I could not resist and pulled out my constant companion the little Leica D-Lux4 and shot some frames, remember in one of my earlier Blogs never leave Home without it, (the camera that is) even when you have to attend a meeting you never know what is around the next corner or outside an Elevator in this case.

This image triggered todays blog and a very short introduction to the new GarageBand ’09, now you might ask what has that to do with Photography or Aperture 2?
Actually a lot!
Let me use the magic word again Total Integration even with music...create your own sound easy and feel good about it that it is yours and has not been copied from someone else. GarageBand is perfect for your Slideshows, Keynote presentation and of course your very own Podcast, the Media Browser is always right there.

The New look when you open GarageBand ‘09

I like the revised and new interface a lot, simple and clean and for those who like to learn an instrument GarageBand’09 has now some very cool tutorials guiding you step by step through the learning process for Piano or Guitar.

GarageBand’09 and the Media Browser right at your fingertips

Check out the new GarageBand ’09 play some Guitar tunes and create your very own music for all your presentations, GarageBand’09 is super cool and a big improvement from its previous versions. GarageBand’09 is part of iLife ’09 which also includes iPhoto, iDVD, iWeb and the cool new iMovie.
GD

How do I do this? Select a folder with the images or create a new one with the images you like to use for the Book, then click on the Book icon, you can choose between auto flow or manual adding the images, you still have the option to move them around after they have been placed.
Once you happy with your Book layout you click on the slide show icon add all your effects, music etc. and go to Export or Share.
Now you have a Book for printing (check on the help menu for specs and more details) and a slick slide presentation, having a similar look then your Book.
Now a few new additions in iPhoto ’09; Places Powered by Google, (cool Maps)Face recognition the stuff everybody is talking about, get your images direct into Flickr and Facebook without leaving iPhoto.
Add a smart Album just like in Aperture 2 or create your Mobile Me Web Gallery all of this and the improved interface makes the new iPhoto ’09 a ripper… my only “worry” …what is going to come for Aperture 2 down the road, this could be very interesting.
Talking about integration with iLife and iWork ’09, it is almost “scary” how they worked all of this to perfection.

I have only scratched the surface on the new iLife and iWork ’09 but continue my test drives with both and bring you up to speed in due time.
GD